Kennebunkport:
A Peaceful Haven

Kennebunkport, Maine, is a destination. People visit or relocate there on
purpose. Since 1602 when colonial fishermen spent their summers along the
Kennebunk River, until the present day when former presidents and other
solace-seekers come to spend time in favorite haunts, people have been setting
their sights on the area as a haven. Some find themselves fortunate to remain
in that haven all year round, while others return like migratory birds, to
enjoy the beauty of the landscape and the architecture, as well as to escape
the stresses of their daily lives.

First Visitors

Before any permanent dwellings had been built in the locale, fisherfolk camped
out on the islands offshore, catching fish and drying them there. These summer
fishermen might have been the first to visit the area, go away, and return
again. Later, the settlement became a trading center, and then a shipping and
shipbuilding center. Meanwhile, however, it was also becoming something of a
tourist hotspot. Even in the early 1800s, the Kennebunkport Beach was lined
with summer hotels. People arrived by rail, often with staff and extended
families. They settled at the beach for the summer season, and at the end of
it, everyone went home.

According to the Kennebunkport Historical Society, “By the 1880s, its natural beauties and convenient beaches made Kennebunkport one
of the more popular and prominent resorts of the Maine coast, a distinction
which it still holds.” Some sources claim Kennebunkport as “one of the most romantic vacation areas in the Northeast.” Others view it as one of the most expensive ones, largely due to the presence
of the impressive estates along Ocean Avenue, for example, and because it is
the location of the family vacation home of former president Bush. Certainly
the town has its share of wealthy summer visitors. In reality, however,
vacationers from all walks of life come to visit its shores, whether to enjoy
the beach, the seaside walks, the history or the autumn foliage.

Taking into account the significant tourist presence of the town, former
innkeepers and current real estate brokers Rick and Janet Wolf locally
represent a company specifically targeting the real estate needs of hoteliers,
The B&B Team. Not content only to help potential innkeepers find properties, they also
provide training seminars and other resources to help their clients run
successful bed and breakfasts and inns.

Wolf is clearly passionate about both his current business and his former one,
and he speaks eloquently of the place of bed and breakfasts in the
Kennebunkport community. He cites Kennebunkport as a specifically appropriate
location for such business, both because of its history and also because of its
exceptional landscape and location. Furthermore, he says, people there have had
the imagination and foresight to preserve and maintain the wealth of beautiful
and historic buildings in the area, so there are many likely properties for the
hospitality business. He further asserts that “some of the best B and Bs in Maine are in Kennebunkport,” and that they have raised the bar for innkeepers in other areas.

Comments

- I think the problem is two fold. There are some that are just bnltaltay ignorant. But I think that there are some that just don't know. I know it sounds dumb, but when I think back to when I first got my license, I really didn't have to know much of anything about traffic laws. A drivers license is pretty much a gimme in most states. I see people not obeying traffic rules all the time, and granted sometimes its just for convenience. But a lot of times I think it's because they don't know better. Great example: turning right on a red arrow ..

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New England Condominium

Welcome to the new online edition of New England Condominium newspaper. The publication serves the New England Condo, HOA and co-op community with informative free articles on management, finance, maintenance and more...